The North Tower
by mr.rubbish
Summary: Ep 2. Gal Da Val Island brings mystery and death to all who set foot upon it...
1. The Illusion of Self

**----- Chapter 1 : The Illusion of Self -----**

  
  
Seb Cole opened his eyes. He felt groggy as if he had been drugged, but could not seem to remember the circumstances as to how or why he found himself in this situation. His eyes adjusted to the harsh lighting and he peered long and hard around the room. Even with all the people standing around him he could see he was in the Guild hospital aboard Pioneer Two. Lying at an incline of fifty degrees indicated he was positioned in a regeneration chamber, but the door had been removed for some reason.  
  
When Seb tried to sit up or raise his arms he found that he was barely able to do so, as if all his strength had been drained away. His head flopped back down to the firm cushion beneath. His stirrings in turn induced movement in those around him and a figure stepped forward. His sight was getting clearer with every passing moment and he could see a contingent of heavily armed HUcasts standing to attention around the core of four people directly in front.  
  
Two of them he recognised immediately; the first was Jeff Melnikov, or Soldier as everyone called him, a regular hunting partner. The second was Matisse Wilder, a deadeye RAmarl who had saved his life a number of times. Neither of them seemed particularly happy to see his reawakening. The third person was Natasha Milarose, chief of Pioneer Two's Research facilities. He had met her only a couple of times and she never seemed to be pleased to see him, but the lower left side of her face was covered with a bandage dressing, as if she had been injured a short while ago. The final person wore the clothes of a scientist but did not look familiar.  
  
"What's going on?" His voice was croaky, alien, as if it did not belong to him.  
  
"We should be asking that question of you." Replied Natasha. It appeared that talking was difficult because of her injury.  
  
"I don't understand..."  
  
As he peered down he saw that his wrists were manacled with some kind of glowing chain. He rattled his arms feebly as he noticed that a white frame had replaced his traditional dark blue armour.  
  
"What's going on?" He said, louder this time.  
  
"Maybe he has lost his memory?" Asked Natasha.  
  
"It's a trick." Jeff Sneered.  
  
"Soldier, help me."  
  
"You don't have the right to call me that, Ben-X." Jeff said tersely.  
  
"Ben-X? Why are you calling me that? It's me, Seb Cole." He protested.  
  
The four observers were clearly shock by this statement.  
  
"Impossible, Seb Cole is dead." Natasha informed him.  
  
"What?" It was Seb's turn to be shocked.  
  
"I think you'd better tell us what you do remember." Said Natasha.  
  
"I think it was a couple of days ago. We... I mean us, Me and Soldier and Matisse and a couple of others stormed the West Tower. You must remember it." Seb directed this statement at the three of them.  
  
"Not with you." Retorted Jeff.  
  
"Please, you're not helping Soldier." Matisse tried to calm Jeff down.  
  
"What if I told you that that was two days ago?" Said Natasha.  
  
"Two days? Have I been unconscious that long?"  
  
"Not quite. Have you heard the name Ben-X before?"  
  
"Not until Soldier called me that for some reason. Should I...?" He hesitated. His mind raced, flashes of something he did not recognise. "I... I... Think..." He stuttered.  
  
"Go back to the Tower mission. Tell us what happened."  
  
"We started by breaching the Central Control Area. In the rush to get started I neglected to purchase necessary supplies so I returned to the Ship. While there I met a young FOnewm who said that his father, who was also a FOnewm, wished to speak to me about the West Tower. I was surprised by their knowledge of my mission and so went along to see what they knew."  
  
"A FOnewm? Did he give you a name?" Asked Natasha.  
  
"Yes, he said his name was Paganini. He offered me some exotic photon weaponry in exchange for data culled from the computer located at the top of the tower."  
  
"And you accepted his offer?"  
  
"I... Was curious, sure. I said to him that I would see what I could do. But I didn't make a firm commitment if you know what I mean."  
  
"And then?"  
  
"Well as per our report, it took us over four hundred Beats to conquer the Tower. The resistance we faced in some places was nothing short of phenomenal."  
  
"So why didn't you mention this Paganini in _your_ report then?" Her tone made Seb uncomfortable for some reason.  
  
"I wasn't sure if I was going to give him the data, I suppose."  
  
"Did you give him the data?" It was Matisse who spoke.  
  
"I... can't remember. I remember leaving the Lab... And then nothing." 


	2. Secrets And Lies

**----- Chapter 2 : Secrets And Lies -----**

  
  
"Allow me to introduce myself..." Said the Scientist. "I am Doctor Triega, the foremost expert in neurology and neurobiology... Well at least here on Pioneer Two anyway!" He said with a slight chuckle.  
  
A glare from Natasha was enough to make him adopt a more serious tone.  
  
"My friend, you have found yourself in the thick of a most unusual turn of events. You are not who you think you are."  
  
"I don't understand. Isn't anyone going to explain exactly what's going on?" Said Seb, growing ever more frustrated.  
  
"..." Hesitated Doctor Triega. "Actually I don't know what's going on myself." He turned expectantly to Natasha.  
  
She sighed impatiently at her so-called expert.  
  
"As incredible as it may sound, it appears as if your mind and memories have been transferred into the body of a HUcast formerly known as Ben-X."  
  
"I... Er..." Seb attempted to speak but this final revelation was overwhelming, the bits of conversation filtering slowly into his brain. "How did I die?" He finally managed to say.  
  
"Your... Body was discovered about two hundred and fifty Beats ago. The autopsy revealed massive neurological trauma, whatever process was used there's no going back." Natasha said solemnly.  
  
Seb felt like he needed to cry. In one simple step his life had been destroyed and now he had been imprisoned in this foreign body. The thought that his future had been taken away filled him with despair, then surprise that he could feel despair.  
  
"So what will happen to me now?" He asked her.  
  
Her hand instinctively moved to the dressing on her cheek before she answered. "You are being held pending a full investigation. Your Android host was found wandering my lab complex. You appeared to be malfunctioning and incoherent but you mentioned some keywords that brought you to my attention. That's when..." Her voice faded off.  
  
"I attacked you? I'm sorry." He hoped his voiced sounded sincere enough.  
  
"In the mean time, you will have to be... Deactivated..."  
  
"Deactivated? You can't do that!" Implored Seb.  
  
"It'll be okay." Matisse stepped forward and held his hand. Her touch was light but reassuring.  
  
Doctor Triega flipped a panel open on Seb's chest and indicated the button sequence she should press. She gave his hand a final squeeze.  
  
"I'll be here when you wake okay?"  
  
The room seemed to darken and move away from him at great speed and her words seemed to stretch out even as they too faded into the darkness.  
  
-------  
  
Natasha Milarose flopped down upon the worn coach and lay there for about a hundredth of a Beat before rising back to her feet and plodded wearily to her desk, collapsing into the chair. She grabbed a couple of the nearby PDAs, knocking empty take-out cartons to the floor. Unlike the rest of the neat and orderly laboratory complex under her control, her personal office was an exercise in chaos and entropy.  
  
Her eyes were starting to ache from the effort of staring at pages and pages of mission reports as well as the transcribed interviews she had been personally conducting for most of the day. Her head was aching more and more as she began to fully comprehend the enormity of the situation.  
  
It had been nearly sixty days since the destruction of the evil entity known as Dark Falz at the hands of a single hunter. Rico Tyrell had inadvertently become an unwitting host, her release only possible through death... Natasha constantly found that thought hard to take and fought back the tide of tears that would inevitably come.  
  
Less than twenty-five Beats after the defeat of Falz, a signal had been received from the planet. The source of the signal was an island located five kilometres off the coast some one hundred and fifty kilometres due south of the Central Dome main site. This was actually the second time that signal was transmitted to Pioneer Two.   
  
The first time was four days after the explosion that took the life of everyone that was there, oddly it would have coincided with the time of Rico's possession. However during that first instance the signal was weak and garbled sufficiently enough to prevent an accurate determination of either its source or meaning.  
  
The island had been named Gal Da Val by the secret military researchers that used it as a base of operations. Beyond that little else had been known. The buildings had been hidden with a special form of cloaking that would absorb most orbital scans, except those made in the visible spectrum, thus disguising their true nature.  
  
Following the haphazard investigation of the original mystery on Ragol and the subsequent loss of many hunters it was decided that security and protocol would be the primary concerns for the investigations on Gal Da Val. With resettlement of the Central Dome slowed to a crawl in order to minimise a potential repeat of the Falz incident, the Principal had given her total authority over these operations to run as she saw fit.  
  
The first step was to vet each and every hunter that came in through her doors. Background checks as well as a battery of ability test to ensure they would be capable of surviving _anything_ they might encounter. These tests were compulsory even for the Legendary Hunter that had defeated Falz. She half suspected that for some these tests were nothing more than an inconvenience, but she would be taking no chances.  
  
The island would prove to be everything she had feared and more. The original indigenous species modified and released back into the wild. Failed experiments some, but no less deadly. Casualties were mounting day-by-day even despite the stringent entry requirements to weed out the 'weaklings'. If things continued this way, she would be unable to keep losses hidden for much longer.  
  
She put down the PDAs. She already knew what they said for she had read them dozens of times. Some of the teams that had entered the East tower also reported contact with this mysterious FOnewm Paganini. The promise of 'rare' items enough to persuade several to hand over copies of data taken from the computer core. Now a HUnter by the name of Seb Cole had had his mind transferred into an Android body. To what end? Perhaps to access the data in his head?  
  
More questions to follow. How did this Paganini know about the data or even about the missions to the two towers? What did he want with the data? How could he or at least his agents move in and out of her lab undetected? The android Ben-X who for the past few months had operated with impunity in Lab missions and tests now turned out to have had false ownership documentation. Who was his master? Again, was Paganini involved somehow?  
  
She needed a walk, a break from work to clear her head. She rose to her feet and left the office. One Beat later she came back, placed all the PDAs into a shoulder bag and then left once more.  
  



	3. Seat of the Heart

**----- Chapter 3 : Seat of the Heart -----**

  
  
  
"Stop fidgeting!" Sue chided the Newman woman as she helped to fasten up her armour.  
  
"I can't help it! I'm too nervous!" She replied.  
  
Sue took a step back and cast an appreciative eye over Cassie Opia as she stood before her. She looked quite resplendent in a custom white and pink heavy jacket. Based in part on the nurse's uniform that she wore when not accompanying Sue on another mission, it was quite unique and also guaranteed near constant attention from every lovesick male within fifty metres.  
  
They had been brought together following an unpleasant episode involving her friend Ash Leguardia and something called 'Parasite Cell D.' They had become fast friends though sometimes Sue despaired that they were perhaps a little too inseparable.  
  
Sue sighed and shook her head, smiling all the while.  
  
"Today's the day... Big exam time. Do you think you're ready?"  
  
Cassie never stopped grinning as she walked to the door. Turning round, hands on hips she stated "See, I'm ready to leave. It's you I'm waiting for."  
  
"Oh really?" Asked Sue slyly as she picked up Cassie's Hold Lockgun off the dresser and casually waved it back and forth.  
  
"Hey!" Exclaimed Cassie as she snatched it out of Sue's hand. "I need that."  
  
"Come on." Said Sue putting an arm round her friend. "I don't want to be the last ones there."  
  
-------  
  
Unfortunately they were the last ones there. However, Ms. Milarose, the chief of the labs waited patiently till they were settled amongst the group of Hunters amassed around her desk before commencing.  
  
"Welcome hunters. You may already be aware of this, but we'll say it again, just in case. The Pioneer Two Lab will begin doing its own research on Gal Da Val. Yes, the island which we just recently discovered..." She began.  
  
Sue let her attention wander while the Chief droned on. She had heard a similar speech when she passed the solo hunter exam. This was a support team adaptation exam, slightly different in format, it would allow 'weaker' hunters to team-up with more experienced ones in order to qualify.  
  
She had done her homework and fully knew what to expect so she checked out the competition. Among the pairs there were a lot of familiar faces, Hunters she had campaigned with before, some real oddities too.  
  
Ash had teamed up with Bernie Tristane in another attempt to qualify. He had failed the solo and she was the only one he had dared confide to over the matter. From their conversation, she had assumed he would just give it up, the 'Last Survivor' competition was starting in six days time and should news leak out that the reigning champion failed to qualify for this it could tarnish his reputation.  
  
Closest to the desk was a figure that probably everyone should recognise, the legendary hunter that had defeated Dark Falz and so they had rightfully earned the title of 'Hero of Ragol'. Their partner was a bit of a mystery, she was one of the operators from the VR section of the lab. Sue shrugged. It did not really matter she supposed. With that kind of power backing her up, the exam was nothing more than a formality.  
  
That thought struck a chord with her. Since only three teams would be qualifying for this exam, did any of the others even stand a chance? She relaxed, a small smiling forming upon her lips, little did any of them realise about her 'ace in the hole'.  
  
She snapped out of her musings as Chief Milarose finished speaking.  
  
"... Will be given to you by your operator. They can communicate with you after you appear on the VR field. Good luck."  
  
With this the hunter pairs made their way to the transporter that would ultimately take them to the VR field. Sue and Cassie held back until the last of the others had moved from view before approaching the Chief's desk.  
  
"Everything is going exactly as planned, but there's only one concern. How will our reconstructed project react to her in the system? That is the critical question. Keep your eyes on them!" She instructed them.  
  
"Huh?" Cassie mouthed silently.  
  
"I'll explain on the way." Whispered Sue to the confused RAnewearl as they walked down the ramp.  
  
"Aren't you forgetting something?" The Chief called after them. She threw a small black object to Sue who caught it.  
  
Sue examined it. It was the size of a watch. The small display was black with the exception of coloured triangles that moved around. An ID badge tracker!  
  
"Thanks!" Sue raised a hand in appreciation.  
  
"I want it back afterwards!" Milarose shouted back as they disappeared through the lower doorway. "Good luck!" She said quietly.  
  
--------  
  
Bernie was starting to become exasperated with Ash's endless chatter. He was sure that by now every team out there knew their exact position from his inane chatter. Finally he could stand no more and came to a halt.  
  
"Don't you ever shut up? Even for just one Beat?!" He fumed.  
  
"Hey! Relax old man! You're liable to have a stroke or something..." Ash paused as he noticed that something had caught Bernie's attention behind him.  
  
"Looks like somebody is up for a challenge. What should we do, partner?"  
  
Ash glanced at the strangely dressed FOmar. He could not remember seeing him at the briefing but he was hardly expected to remember the face of every loser that would get in his way, was he?  
  
"Step aside. I can handle him by myself."  
  
Bernie raised his eyebrows in disbelief. "I thought you would say that. I'll just get out of your way..."  
  
The FOmar raised his hands to the skies, an aura of pale yellow energy enveloped him. The energy flowed upwards forming a column filled with crackling electricity. Mere moments later the ground shook quite violently. Undeterred by this display Ash activated his Partisan of Lightning double saber and adopted an attack position.  
  
"Hey, wait Ash!"  
  
Ash glanced over his shoulder at the mention of his name only to see his RAmar partner running hell-for-leather in the opposite direction.  
  
"Why are you running away?" Ash shouted.  
  
"I just have a bad feeling about this!" Came the distant reply.  
  
Ash took one more look at the FOmar before deciding that in this case he would trust Bernie's judgement. As he ran he suddenly felt very warm as the room began to get brighter and brighter until everything was white...  
  



	4. Baptism of Fire

**----- Chapter 4 : Baptism of Fire -----**

  
  
"The earthquakes are a new addition..." Said Sue aloud.  
  
"Hmmm?" Queried Cassie.  
  
"Never mind."  
  
They entered the room slowly, they had been caught out by far too many traps already to want to rush headlong into another. The VR Temple field was undoubtedly beautiful but that did not make it any less dangerous. In fact for them, the VR sun setting low over the horizon was directly in their eyes, a very real hindrance in the event of an ambush.  
  
Sue did a quick reconnaissance before calling Cassie out from the doorway. This room was covered in various patches of brightly coloured blood indicating that others had passed this way already. A possibility not lost on Cassie.  
  
"Will we really have to fight other hunters?"  
  
"If it comes to that, then yeah." Sue glanced down at the tracking device now affixed to her right wrist.  
  
She could quite clearly see the relative location of pair that they were following, but there was no indication of geography. This meant lots blundering into dead ends and wrong turns. It would have probably been faster to locate the exit first and let them come to her she reckoned. Lost in thought she almost missed the 'electronic power-up' sound made by a Dark Belra as it materialised behind them. The doors sealed locking them in.  
  
Cassie stood there, seemingly mesmerised by the strips of coloured lights that adorned its dark beige body. It lumbered slowly towards them on its stumpy legs, claws dragging on the ground, each step felt as a thump through the soles of their feet.  
  
Cassie stood her ground, brought her Hold Lockgun up and began to fire round after round at the behemoth's head. The shots were quite accurate but the majority seemed to ricochet off. Unperturbed by the attack, the Belra leaned back, raising one of its huge arms to point at the pair. Sue could hear the whine of the Belra's ion counter-thrusters igniting even over the sound of escaping gas as hydraulic pressure built up in its elbow joint.  
  
With a jolt Sue ran and tackled her partner to the floor. Both of them felt the incredible rush of wind as the Belra's claw flew overhead and impacted with awesome force into the wall at the far end of the room. Within milliBeats it began to dissolve into a sickly green liquid.  
  
Sue recovered quickly and yanked Cassie up to her feet.  
  
"Don't stop moving for too long!" She shouted running around to flank the giant.  
  
Cassie nodded and started to move in the opposite direction. The Belra hesitated briefly, unsure of which one to follow, before finally tracking Cassie. From the stump of its right arm slowly flowed out a viscous green fluid which began to darken and take on the shape of the missing limb.  
  
With its back exposed to Sue she darted in and slashed it repeatedly with her Nei's Claw. The neon pink blades scraping across its surface, doing little more than cosmetic damage.  
  
"Sue? Do something!" Cassie shouted out.  
  
The Belra was advancing upon the hapless RAnewearl who was now being backed into a corner. Sue had seen first-hand what kind of damage could result with a swipe from one of this beast's arms and she became desperate. Pulling her arm back, she gave a loud yell and punched the claw as hard as she could into the Belra's back.  
  
The blow must have struck something as the Belra threw up its arms to the sky, arching its back in silent agony. Cassie took the opportunity to run out of its path. The Belra lowered its arms and once more plodded relentlessly after its intended target as if nothing had happened. Sue, with the Claw sunk into the monster as far as it would go was unable to extricate the weapon and so was dragged along with it.  
  
"A little help here please!"  
  
"I'm a... Little busy at the moment!" Sue protested.  
  
Even with placing both feet against the Belra's backside and pushing against it Sue could not remove her Claw, it was if it was bonded at the photon level...  
  
_Of course!_  
  
Sue deactivated the Nei's Claw and was rewarded with a fall to the hard floor. The giant stomped onwards oblivious to Sue's attack or subsequent troubles, once more trapping Cassie in a corner.   
  
_What's it going to take to stop this thing?_ Wondered Sue desperately. The first time she had taken the Lab's exam she successfully avoided combat with a Belra and prior to that she had only ever encountered one in the Ruins while accompanying a team of Hunters. The six of them combined was enough to fell the monster but it did not go down easily.  
  
A moment of inspiration at last! Sue sprang to her feet and ran at the Belra, Claw reactivated and punched into it once more.  
  
"YEEEEEEAAAARRRRRRHHHHHHHH!"  
  
Again the claw sank deep into the stone-like flesh. This time was different. She had targeted the vulnerable knee joint and as it walked the movement chewed it up. The green liquid that passed for its blood poured out over Sue's hand, it was sticky and unpleasantly warm. With a quiet groan, the leg buckled and unbalanced by its heavy arms the Belra toppled to one side before rolling onto its face.  
  
Even as it struggled to right itself, Sue clambered onto its back and attacked its exposed neck joint. Mere centiBeats later it slumped back to the ground and became still. Sue leapt off before it began to dissolve and trap her in its 'rotting' body.  
  
The doors all clanked and re-opened automatically. Sue breathed a sigh of relief as Cassie hugged her a little too enthusiastically.  
  
"I was scared that you wouldn't be able to stop it!" Cassie whimpered and squeezed her tighter.  
  
"Ooof! Relax!" Sue laughed as she prised Cassie's arms from around her chest. "I was a little scared myself there for a moment. But don't worry... You can't die in the VR field.  
  
The ground shook violently once more.  
  
"I think that means that we'd better hurry!" Said Sue running through the nearest doorway.  
  
She heard a scream and screeched to a halt. She turned just in time to see fire raining from the sky.  
  



	5. The South Tower

**----- Chapter 5 : The South Tower -----**

  
  
Sue sat next to the bed, in her hand she cradled the heavily bandaged hand of Cassie, who lay there sleeping. Bandages covered every visible bit of skin, the only sign that anyone was even alive under all of it was the shallow, rhythmic rising and falling of her chest as she breathed.  
  
Sue's cheeks were damp and her eyes red from the effort of crying earlier. Even as she played back the events of yesterday in her mind, the flood of emotions caused tears to well up in her eyes once more.  
  
-------  
  
The VR field underwent massive instability, manifesting as the tremors and even the fireballs that fell down upon them. Sue just managed to catch a glimpse of Cassie as she disappeared from view, a direct hit and so consequently removed from the VR field. There was no way for Sue to have known at the time the full extent of what had happened.  
  
Sue did not hesitate for a milliBeat longer, dashing for the exit faster than she thought possible. The trip a blur in her memory, her only concern was her own survival, but the end result was being stranded alone in the second VR field: The spaceship. Based on designs of Coral's old orbiting space stations it was a confusing maze of cold metal walls and twisting corridors.  
  
She had located a communication sphere and the Lab filled her in on the situation. They warned her that the VR field instability meant that injury fail-safes in place could not be guaranteed to protect her. The news that Cassie had been hurt filled Sue with dread and she had insisted then and there that she wanted out.  
  
Natasha Milarose herself stepped in with a deal. If a partner was provided and they resumed the observation mission, then Cassie Opia would be granted an automatic pass. What choice did Sue have?  
  
Two Beats later, her new partner entered the VR field. He was a plain white HUcast of the strong, silent variety. He was called Mandroid and he initially caused Sue no small measure of consternation when he produced an ever so familiar purple scythe. It calmed her fears only slightly when he assured her that it was merely a replica but from that point on she made sure she kept an eye on him.  
  
The Android Kireek had also wielded such a weapon. When Ash had mutated she had asked Kireek to capture him and he obliged her by almost killing him with it. There was more to it than that, but it was another story for another time.  
  
Mandroid proved to be more than capable. His immense strength allowed them to cut a swathe through the stronger enemies scattered throughout the environment. With the job made easier, Sue could concentrate on remaining a comfortable distance behind their target, namely Elly Person and her protector.  
  
Their quarry got themselves in a couple of sticky situations but Sue was instructed not to intervene, even if she had it would probably ended in a battle for IDs. When the mysterious FOmar had materialised to assist them was when it got _really_ weird.  
  
That night as the four of them had sat on the beach of Gal Da Val Island and discussed what had happened, she could not fully comprehend it all. Even now it seemed so fantastical as to still hurt her brain as she struggled to understand.  
  
That mysterious FOmar was Calus, an Intelligence obtained from the systems controlling the research labs in the secret mining facility. Except there were two of them...? Calus had been integrated into the VR simulation systems and had contacted Elly to take the exam. Sue in turn had been hired as a neutral observer, though they had never fully explained the whys and the wherefores of the mission to her.  
  
Following the completion of the exam by three of the teams, the simulation had ended. Sue wanted nothing more than to check up on Cassie's situation, but Natasha Milarose warned her that it was not over until she said it was. She was right too, Elly Person was contacted again by Calus. She and her protector sneaked through the Lab's main transporter down to Gal Da Val Island, a place she was becoming very familiar with.  
  
Gal Da Val Island was some kind of secret research base for the Pioneer One scientists. It crawled with their lethal experiments, science run amok. It was also much closer to sea level than the plateau selected for the Central Dome, giving it a tropical feel. Situated in an often fog-filled bay lay the research facility itself and that was where they touched down.  
  
Calus directed them go to the 'Control Tower', the tallest building in the southern section of the base but only half the height of the East or West Tower. At this point Sue and Mandroid confronted the pair, Sue had even made a veiled threat to the 'Hero of Ragol'!  
  
-------  
  
Sue smiled at that thought. She would probably have been chewed up and spit out in the blink of an eye, but in the heat of the moment sometimes rash decisions get made...  
  
-------  
  
Elly and the Hunter convinced them to at least see through what they were doing, maybe foolishly, Sue had given in. Mandroid and the Hunter led the charge to clear a path to the top of the tower, Sue and Elly following close behind. Though Sue had teamed up with the Legendary Hunter previously, the difference in power since then was very noticeable. Mandroid was no slouch in the fight stakes and the two of them formed an awe-inspiring combination.  
  
The top of the tower held secrets, things done in the dark to hide them from the scrutiny of those in power. The three principal Intelligences: Calus, Olga and Vol Opt, were created by something called the MOTHER system, but their story did not end there. Doctor Osto was working to push them onto the next evolutionary step in conjunction with D-Cells recovered from the Ruins.  
  
-------  
  
That had reminded Sue of something that Kireek had said to her the very last time she saw him.  
  
"Did you know that humans created Androids to fight their wars for them? When they turned on their masters they created genetically engineered versions of themselves, the Newmen, to fight their wars for them." He had told her.  
  
"But that was over a thousand years ago." Sue had replied.  
  
"An age for you, yesterday for me. Tell me, when your kind turns on them, what will they create?"  
  
What indeed? But her thoughts were interrupted as Cassie stirred slightly and then gave her hand a reassuring squeeze.  
  



	6. The Last Survivor

**----- Chapter 6 : The Last Survivor -----**

  
  
Following the incident in the South Tower, Sue had told the others that she would do her best to cover up what had happened. True to her word she did, but was not entirely convincing. Sue was not comfortable with lying, especially to the authorities whom had kept a close eye on her since the time she confessed to hiding a D-Cellular organism in her apartment.  
  
The next few days, Sue spent almost all of her time at the hospital watching over Cassie. The rest of the staff were particularly understanding, mainly because she was a regular feature there anyway.  
  
Cassie herself took the entire incident in her usually good humour. "I'm just glad I don't have to do _that_ again!" She had joked when informed of the automatic pass gained to Gal Da Val Island. Sue could tell that she was smiling even through the pain.  
  
The disruption of the VR field had been quite terrible and Cassie had faired the worst of those caught out by it. She had suffered third-degree burns on sixty-seven percent of her body, and first-degree burns on an additional fifteen percent. She had received medical treatment immediately after the accident but it was not enough to prevent her skin being transformed into a mass of scar tissue. She would now have to face many weeks of nanite cellular reconstruction therapy sessions before she could return to a normal life.  
  
In the meantime, she had returned to a limited active duty on the wards. _The endless stream of Hunters through our doors don't just heal themselves, didn't you know?_ But that was so like her, she always put the needs of others before her own.  
  
Of course now that Cassie was up and about, it meant that Sue should be too. These past few days of inactivity had thrown off her usually well regimented exercise routine. Since she wanted to be close to Cassie, going on missions was out of the question and the very thought of training in a VR room brought her out in a cold sweat. It would probably take her a while to get over that.  
  
Jogging was the answer. Pioneer Two was locked in a geosynchronous orbit over Ragol and at three hundred and thirty Beats the sun would gloriously rise above the rim of the Dome slowly covering everything below in its warming rays. Ramos Memorial park was located a convenient two kilometres from the Guild and was quite picturesque at dawn.  
  
Today though she had stopped to catch a breather by some park benches and was surprised to see a FOmar and FOmarl feeding some pigeons. She only recognised the FOmar, his name was Cilantro Dumas, quite renowned for the power of his Techniques. Many Newman FOrces competed for the limited places available to train as his student.  
  
As she neared the pair she noted that they were quite old in appearance, both of them at least fifty years old. Sue had very few human friends, she preferred the company of Newmen and because of their greatly reduced life-span it was always a sight that she would never get used to.  
  
"Don't get many Hunters out here this early." Sue said greeting them with a smile.  
  
"We prefer it early... Before the hustle and bustle of the city." Said Cilantro. "Oh by the way, I don't believe you've met my sister Celebra. Celebra, this is Sue Biopal. You might remember her from the Guild inquiry a few months back over that creature she was hiding."  
  
"Pleased to meet you." Said Celebra extending her hand for Sue to shake.  
  
Sue blushed at the mention of that. "I was hoping that people wouldn't remember!"  
  
Celebra leaned forward, "Don't worry, it adds a little spice to the hum-drum of everyday life."  
  
"I would have thought that as you two were Hunters that you'd prefer the peace of the Ragolian forest."  
  
"Maybe in time." Replied Cilantro. "But for the moment, the animals there are a little too hostile and I have no wish to hurt any of them unnecessarily..." He paused, fingers to his mouth, to think for a moment.  
  
"But I can tell you who has made the forest their new home, a mutual acquaintance, the FOnewm _Zi'Zuku_. It looks like the whole Falz thing affected him profoundly. Last I spoke to him, he was playing guitar for the Rappies."  
  
Sue raised an eyebrow in surprise. "Well I guess that I never did get round to thanking him for his advice. Perhaps I should pay him a visit?"  
  
Cilantro pulled back his sleeve and tapped a couple of buttons on his Comms device. Sue's one beeped twice in response a few moments later.  
  
"That's my Guild card. When you feel ready, I'll show you where he's hiding." He said with a chuckle.  
  
-------  
  
The area around the bar was quite packed. Ash centre-stage surrounded by friends, fans and those who liked a free drink. He was in the middle of another rousing tale when he spotted Sue off near the back watching him.  
  
"Excuse me!" He said rather loudly, "I have a date with a girl!" He pointed across the bar at her.  
  
There was a burst of raucous laughter as he made his way through the throng.  
  
"I glad you came! You never could resist me right?" He put his arms around her and danced to some imaginary music.  
  
"Not quite." She grinned broadly. "I just came to wish you luck for tomorrow." She kissed him softly on the cheek and took a step back.  
  
Ash put his hand to his cheek. "Is that all? You know, I could ditch those guys so we could be alone..."  
  
Sue laughed. "See you around okay?" She said as she headed for the exit.  
  
Ash smiled and shook his head in disappointment before returning back to the party. 


	7. The Law of the Jungle

**----- Chapter 7 : The Law of the Jungle -----**

  
  
The roar of the crowd was becoming louder every milliBeat. From a large hole in the center of the amphitheater rose a lift platform carrying the four chosen hunters. As they came into view rising from unseen depths the crowd became even more excited, rising to their feet in unison.  
  
Ash raised his arms above his head to acknowledge his adoring public. As defending champion of the previous 'Last Survivor' battle series he was already odds-favourite to win. This opening first round match attracting levels of interest not seen since his triumph of last season's final round. He allowed himself a broad grin as he reveled in their adoration.  
  
He glanced around at the competition positioned at each of the other three corners of the lift. The entry draw had been held in secret, his name was the only one known for this first match. As a precaution separate changing rooms, entrances and corridors had meant no contact before the match itself. Now with the bright studio lights beaming down he could finally see what he was up against.  
  
The HUnewearl closest to him was called Mirya Danse. They had crossed swords before, she certainly was quite a feisty one, but her determination had proved to be no match for his... Flair. He liked the sound of that, flair. Of course tonight at his victory party, he would console her, buy her a couple of drinks and they would become better 'friends'. His grin turned to a wry smile at that thought as he moved his attention over to the next competitor.  
  
The imposing form of the HUcast standing with his back to him at the opposite corner of the lift touched Ash briefly with awe. The guy looked like he could take it as well as dish it out. Ash had overheard his name when he was ushered into the building more than sixty Beats ago, Mandroid, but that was pretty much all he knew about him. One to watch he was. The hairs on the back of his neck stood on end when the android tilted his head to stare back at him over his shoulder. He quickly moved his gaze on to the final competitor.  
  
The last hunter, a scrawny young FOnewm, was waving to the crowd and basking in _HIS_ glory. Ash tutted disapprovingly. This guy should earn his respect first! Ash knew little about this one too, his name was Jackson Forain and he was a big fan of Ash's. He had approached Ash during the off season for his blessing to compete and now he had qualified for round one AND had gotten an opportunity to take on his idol. Wasn't he the lucky one!  
  
The lift slowly came to a halt flush with the floor as the floor staff for the show indicated that they should move to the large metallic doors before them. The other three obliged, but Ash took his time, he knew how to play the crowd. With the deftest touch of a button on the photon-storage unit mounted to his forearm, a large sword materialised into his hand. He raised it high above his head in the manner of a conquering hero. Incredibly, the audience became even louder when they saw it: The Last Survivor.   
  
His signature weapon, it was a replica, getting an original proving to be impossible even for him, but no one would care. Some others had used similar weapons in the previous season but they had faded from the memories of fans and so he had made the weapon his own. He had many more suitable weapons which he used for the bulk of his fighting, but it was important that he used it for finishing an opponent off.  
  
After much insistent tugging on his arm from a cute little Newman he sauntered over to where his impatient rivals waited in front of the massive doors leading to the VR arena. With a hiss and some clanking, the doors parted and they entered. Once inside, the doors closed leaving them in darkness for a few milliBeats before the lights came back on.  
  
"Do we fight now?" Inquired Jackson.  
  
Ash sighed and he was pretty sure that Mirya did the same. Newbies! It took him back to his first match... It seemed like so long ago now. At the time he had been so nervous that he had almost thrown-up. Jackson's expression indicated that he was unlikely to embarrass himself like that.  
  
It was not even like he had been some fresh faced rookie at the time, he was a veteran of the campaigns on Ragol's surface. Part of a select few called up by the government to investigate a mystery where the military had failed, he would have faced the mighty Falz himself had he not been involved in the incident...  
  
The thought of dwelling on such an unpleasant event made his entire body shudder and he cast it from his mind hoping not to show weakness to those present that might exploit it. As he looked around he realised that the others had already stepped through the teleporter that would transport them directly to the VR field. Switching to a Partisan of Lightning, he stepped into the soft green light and vanished.  
  
A brief sensation of disorientation and he arrived. The flashing lights from the ceiling and numerous sounds of mechanical systems operating in the distance informed him that this was the 'spaceship' level. It was not one of his favourites, the warm glow of the sun of the 'temple' area always felt better to battle under, instead of the harsh lights they laboured under now. He gripped the handle of the double bladed weapon, its blades materialising gradually into view and he readied himself. The door to his starting room would not unlock until everyone was ready.  
  
He pressed a button on his Comms device to indicate he was ready and briefly closed his eyes and imagined what might be taking place outside the Arena, where the audience would wait and in hushed tones whisper Ash's name onto victory. Not just them of course, the show was broadcast primetime throughout Pioneer Two and the fleet of ships that accompanied it in orbit around Ragol.  
  
His eyes opened once more, jolted back to life by the disembodied voice counting down from five, the round was about to begin! He gripped the handle more tightly and when the doors opened he sprang forth. He raced up the narrow corridor into the network of interconnected rooms that made up the actual fighting area.  
  
He crouched against an adjacent wall and listened for footsteps that would indicate an approaching adversary. He looked down at the weapon in his hand and cursing himself for a fool, deactivated the photon blades. The cost in power-up time would more than be offset by the advantage gained by not glowing like a neon sign saying "_Hunter hiding here, please attack me!_"  
  
After a few moments of listening and sure that he was alone, he cautiously ran over to the far exit, head kept low to minimise his profile. This next room was filled with a series of short walls, forming an impromptu maze. He paused in the doorway and listened once more. Hearing nothing, he dashed into the centre of the room to wait for a target. He stopped in his tracks when he saw Mirya lying face down.  
  
He frowned, he had not heard the announcer call out that someone had been defeated. He quickly realised that she must be faking. He activated his weapon and edged around to she what weapon she was holding in her hands. Moving further still he caught sight of her face and her expression, _She's a pretty good actress!_ He thought.   
  
When he glimpsed what was pooled beside her mouth he froze, dread seizing control of his muscles. It was blood! 


	8. Unfinished Business

**----- Chapter 8 : Unfinished Business -----**

  
  
  
Now that he saw blood he was confused, had she been defeated or not? A prod with the end of his weapon yielded no response, so he moved closer.  
  
"Are you alright?" He asked quietly and then immediately felt foolish for doing so.  
  
He knelt beside the fallen HUnewearl and gingerly touched her. Despite a thin wound across her lower back she was still warm, it wasn't a hologram, so why was there blood? The VR room prevented actual damage from being dealt to those inside, and when someone was defeated an imitation photonic body was put in the place of the removed combatant as a marker along with 'wounds' to indicate what had happened. Those removed from battle had to sit in the waiting room till the round was over.  
  
He held her shoulder and carefully turned her over. He was shocked to see that her legs had remained in place... She had been cut in half! He stood up as a wave of nausea hit him, he covered his mouth and turned away, not wishing to see this horrible sight.  
  
A loud and clear metallic voice carried over to him from some unseen part of the room.  
  
"We meet again!"  
  
His legs went weak at the sound of that voice, so familiar yet mocking him with the realisation that he could not put a name to it.  
  
"Who are you?" He yelled.  
  
"Answer me!"  
  
Silence.  
  
Ash crouched low, his fighting instincts kicking in. He peered around the local walls but could see no shadow, no telltale sign of the owner of the voice that mocked him. The walls that surrounded him did not fully reach the ceiling, but they were over three metres in height and their smooth, hard surface made scaling impossible.  
  
"Do you like my handiwork?" The voice called once more.  
  
Ash came to his senses, "Mandroid? What have you done?"  
  
"Personally, I think it was a bit sloppy, but when the VR room's safety locks are disabled, things do get a little messy..." The voice tailed off at the end almost as if the android was lost in thought.  
  
Ash tilted his head in various directions to try and determine Mandroid's location, but to no avail, the echoes in the chamber rendering it directionless. There was a crackle as the announcement speakers came to life.  
  
"This i.....Ktt...Gency. I rep...Zzt....Krk...Fatali.....Bzt.."  
  
There was a final burst of static and then it died as quickly as it had started.  
  
"It appears that they boosted their power output. Do not worry, there shall be no more interruptions momentarily." Mandroid stated matter-of-factly.  
  
Ash was dumb-founded, how was Mandroid manipulating the VR room like that? And more importantly why? However, his train of thought was sharply punctuated by the noisy arrival of Jackson.  
  
"Get out of here! It's a trap!" Shouted Ash.  
  
"I'm not falling for that trick!" Replied Jackson.  
  
Ash growled in frustration. "It's Mandroid! He's gone berserk!"  
  
"Mandroid? What are you tal..." Jackson stopped mid-sentence. "Gurkk..." He gurgled.  
  
This was shortly followed by a series of sickening cracking noises. Ash dropped his weapon as he covered his ears to block out the vile noise. Why were the show's organisers allowing this travesty to happen? There was a dull thud, the sound a body makes when thrown to the floor.  
  
"Satisfying."  
  
Footsteps resounded through the walls, each deliberately placed to inform Ash that his tormentor was approaching. Ash spun around, he did not wish to be caught unawares as Jackson had been. In that moment, Mandroid strode into view and faced him.  
  
Ash looked down at the ground. In his blind panic he had moved away from his weapon which had rolled some distance and now lay near Mandroid's feet. Mandroid's head traced the direction of Ash's gaze.  
  
"I think you might really need that right about now." It sounded exactly as if he was _smiling_.  
  
Ash checked Mandroid's hands, he was not carrying any photon weapons but held in one hand a large brown cube, which he seemed to be trying to conceal behind him. Ash took a few hesitant steps backwards.  
  
"Where are you going? You cannot escape me here, and no one can save you." Mandroid patted his chest lightly. "My upgrades ensure that this experience will not be spoiled by the untimely interference of others, especially THAT hunter, the one that saved you before..."  
  
Ash gasped and clasped his stomach, a light phantom pain wracked his body as what little memory he had of that terrible day in the Ruins came flooding back. He had become infected with D-Cells and had lost control of his actions. Instead of capture it had very nearly ended with the death of him at the hands of someone he knew and had trusted. But he had been saved, saved by the Hunter that would go on to defeat Dark Falz. As his life ebbed away he had witnessed the epic battle that had resulted in the destruction of...  
  
"Kireek!" His voice was weak, vocal chords near paralysed by fear.  
  
The White android gave no indication that he heard Ash speak, merely standing motionless in front of him.  
  



	9. The Sum of All Fears

**----- Chapter 9 : The Sum of All Fears -----**

  
  
  
With an almost casual movement, Kireek tossed the object in his hand at Ash who traced its lazy arc through the air towards him. As it came nearer he recognised the markings on it... It was a mine!  
  
Ash raised his hand in an instant and uttered a single command. "Zonde!"   
  
A split milliBeat later a thin bolt of yellow-tinged lightning streaked across from near his hand and struck the mine in mid-air. The event was expected but the outcome not so. A brilliant flash lit up the room and Ash's eyes felt like they had been set on fire even as his vision disappeared in a blur of white. He stumbled backwards hoping to put some distance between himself and the killer Android before him, but he tripped on something and fell on to his back heavily, winding himself.  
  
Desperately trying to recover, he crawled backwards blinking furiously in a vain attempt to have his vision return faster. Colliding with a wall and with tears streaming down his face he held up his arms hoping to ward off the inevitable final strike.  
  
It did not come and after what seemed like Beats the burning white became darker and formed recognisable blobs of colour. The 'thing' he had tripped over had been Mirya's body but Kireek was nowhere in sight. Had the android fled? His question was answered when Kireek once again stepped from the shadows to confront him.  
  
"It is time to claim what is mine."  
  
This time Ash was determined to show Kireek that he was no longer a victim, he stood upright, and activate his back-up weapon, the Last Survivor sword. He put forward one foot and adopted a battle position, brow furrowed in concentration. Once more Kireek remained perfectly still.  
  
Ash charged fast and swung hard at the android, hell-bent on cutting him in two. Kireek reached out and caught the large sword in full swing with one hand, stopping it dead. Ash's mouth gaped open at what he had just seen. However Kireek was not done yet. The air was filled with the creaking of metal experiencing great stress and without warning the sword's photon blade casing shattered into many pieces.  
  
Ash could only stare in sheer disbelief at the remains of his once almighty weapon. The android's strength must be phenomenal. With Ash powerless to act, Kireek walked over to him and with a simple backhand knocked Ash to the ground and the weapon from his hand in one go.  
  
"How? Why?" Ash cried out as he propped himself up.  
  
"After I was defeated by _that_ Hunter, I was consigned to the scrap heap ready for recycling. However, I have powerful friends in high places."  
  
When Ash frowned at that statement, Kireek elaborated.  
  
"You should be grateful that I am taking the time to finish that which I started so long ago. My employer Black Arm will be... _Irritated_ that I am doing this."  
  
"Black Arm?"  
  
"Do not concern yourself with such matters now, the secret will die with you."  
  
"Even if you kill me, they'll catch you and deactivate you for good."  
  
"I can leave anytime I wish, I have been equipped with the military's finest. It is amazing what you can find on the island..." He paused briefly. "But you would not know, would you?"  
  
Ash knew he referred to the hidden island, available only to Hunters that had passed stringent examination requirements. He had tried for it between seasons but during his test a malfunction of the VR environment had resulted in most of the teams taking part to fail. There was a rumour that the legendary Hunter had passed the exam that same day, but Ash had decided to quit and return to concentrate solely on this show.  
  
Kireek stood astride of Ash and sat on his chest, pinning him to the floor with his weight. He rolled his wrist in a dramatic fashion and out of thin air materialised the sinister purple scythe of Ash's nightmares. Kireek leaned forward so that his face was almost above Ash's and then proceeded to scrape his free hand downward across his own face, the screeching noise enough to set Ash's teeth on edge. The white paint flaked off readily to reveal the familiar purple and grey of Kireek's true colour scheme. Beneath him, Ash struggled to search his inventory for the item he needed.  
  
"And now I will claim that which is rightfully mine."  
  
"What? What's rightfully yours?"  
  
Kireek's voice rose to a crescendo.  
  
"YOUR SOUL!"  
  
As Kireek raised his Soul Eater scythe high to bring down on the helpless Ash below, Ash activated a telepipe module and flicked it up on to Kireek's back. Kireek recognised the noise but was unable to react in time.  
  
"NNNOOOOOOoooooo...." He screamed as the energy vortex above him dragged him up and inside and he disappeared from view.  
  
With Kireek gone the vortex fluctuated wild before dissipating. Ash breathed a sigh of relief and collapsed back to the floor to await his rescue. He was unsure of where the telepipe would take Kireek, but he knew that this was not over, not even by a long shot.  
  



	10. Final Analysis

**----- Chapter 10 : Final Analysis -----**

  
  
  
Sue brooded into her drink. She had tired of playing the waiting game since the lock-down nearly a week ago. The tragedy that had befallen the competitors of the 'Last Survivor' show had shocked everyone. When Kireek had caused interference with the cameras recording the show, many were secretly glad that they had not witnessed those terrible things. When word had gotten out about Kireek's upgrades and escape, there had been public outcry. Vengeance had been demanded, a contingent of Hunters formed, baying for his blood. Or whatever passed for Android blood anyway.  
  
The government were as appalled by Kireek's actions as anyone else, but when it was revealed that Kireek had been sent down to the surface, they decreed that Ragol was off limits to _EVERYONE_, irrespective of level or experience. This had caused much tension, not helped by the fact that suddenly every Android on Pioneer 2 was under suspicion, not officially of course, but there was evidence everywhere and Sue knew that full scale riots might not be far behind.  
  
Outside of those privy to the Hunter's Guild, there was the beginnings of panic. Sue rarely associated with non-hunters, the Hunter community was far more interesting, but she knew those that did and they expressed their concerns to her. The explosion on Ragol had occurred over nine months ago and after several years spent travelling in space only to arrive at a planet they could not visit meant that the people were rapidly losing faith in the authorities.   
  
But it was hardly their fault, even with the destruction of Falz, creatures still roamed the forests and outlying areas near the central dome. Despite culling efforts of the top Hunters, they appeared to become more numerous and more stronger with every passing week. The discovery of a hidden research facility on Gal Da Val Island five kilometres off the southern coast had meant that security had to be tightened further. Who knew what other horrors might lie in wait?  
  
Sue stared into her glass, half-empty. It had been that way for sometime, her thoughts moving in a circular fashion like a Farlla chasing its tail. She sighed and inwardly turned her attention to Ash. Poor Ash. In hind-sight, of course it was obvious that the HUcast Mandroid was Kireek. When she had met him he had used a scythe, the alarm bells in her head rang loudly enough. Though if she had actually watched the show she would have been just as powerless as the suthorities to act.  
  
She had known Ash mainly from the missions they had undertaken on Ragol. Whenever she had checked the Guild boards to find out who was active she almost always saw his name. He seemed to throw himself into his work with a dogged kind of determination that she respected. He had of course tried his luck with her, she could hardly blame him (she smiled) but she insisted that they were nothing more than friends and he had accepted that (he had no choice!).  
  
Since the Legendary Hunter had saved him in the Ruins from Kireek's near-fatal attack he had withdrawn from active surface duty and focused his attentions on the Holocast show 'Last Survivor'. An opportunist called Gallon had come up with the bright idea of televising Hunter battle mode competitions. It proved popular, attracting a wide selection of talent, but the best hunters frowned on such transparent glory seeking. They preferred to let their actions speak for them.  
  
She had visited the hospital late last night to see Ash. They were not exactly close but she knew him well enough to be concerned. When she did meet him she was soon given reason for concern. He refused to leave his hospital room, forming a barricade on the door. It had taken nearly ten Beats of gentle coaxing before he finally relented and let her in. He had sustained no lasting injuries physically but his mental state was another story entirely. His paranoid delusions well fuelled by an enemy that by all rights should be dead. The nurses confided to her that the mere sight of an Android would send him into a psychotic episode.  
  
She had extracted all the information she could from his ramblings before he curled up into a ball, rocking back and forth in a near catatonic state. His words had chilled her though, they pointed to something dark ingrained into the society on Pioneer Two. Cassie assure her that he would be well taken care off in the civilian mental care hospital once he had recovered enough to be moved there.  
  
She tapped away lazily at the battered PDA. The screen flashed with the notes she had been making over the course of the past couple of days. Her first stop had been Kroe and Anna Wayanes. Anna had been a member of Black Paper's gang. They were twins and Kroe had used that fact to infiltrate and bring about the apprehension of Black Paper. Sue had been shocked at his unmasking, it was Alex Troupe, her on and off hunting partner.   
  
The last time she had seen him alive was when he had mysteriously ditched her while they were looking for Doctor Osto's research notes. Teaming up with the Legendary Hunter she had found him but he was acting strangely and so they left him behind. In the end a FOnewm by the name of Miranda Fallon had caught him in a bloody battle. The authorities checked the transporter logs and found that he had made too many trips to the surface with the ones caught by Kroe for it to be coincidence.  
  
Alex had said nothing following his capture and was murdered in his holding cell before he might divulge anything. Kireek's confidence in his powers meant he had let slip of his true identity as Black Hound to the One who would defeat Falz. The Legendary Hunter proved to be the strongest in that encounter. Now it seemed possible that the two of them reported to a higher power, namely Black Arm.  
  
It all made sense if you thought about it. Hound and Paper were killing the hunters for their weapons. A few were being sold but the rest were being destroyed. The Wayanes sisters told Sue that they had been instructed to look out for 'something special'. No ordinary rare weapons, what was it they had sought?  
  
With that trail going cold she had questioned the recovery team sent to the Ruins and every junk dealer, scrap merchant and Android repair station on the ship. Her feet felt like she had walked fifty kilometres so far! Kireek's remains had done a fair bit of travelling themselves, being passed from person to person. When the recipient had discovered what they had got hold of, they wanted nothing to do with it and moved them on. The parts were finally assigned for destruction through a dealer called Septia Moose.  
  
Septia Moose however had gone missing over six months ago, one of Black Paper's victims. They used his shop as a front to sell on their stolen merchandise. The authorities knew this information that had been uncovered as well. However, Moose's shop was located in one of the more 'run-down' districts of Pioneer Two's Vega residential district. Here Moose's neighbours would be understandably reluctant to venture forth information. Fortunately, Sue had more luck. Kireek's fresh assault on Ash serving to loosen tongues sufficiently to serve purpose.  
  
The final pages of her notes consisted of a list of descriptions of various regulars that had called upon Moose's shop up until recently. The fact that the shop had been boarded up seemed to be no barrier to business. She could eliminate all but four of the suspects as the Hunter thieves. It was the unknown ones that would prove problematic. Pioneer 2 was the second wave of settlers so it only carried three million people made up of humans, Newmen and Androids. But _twenty five thousand_ of those were members of the Hunters Guild in some capacity and that did not discount those who would imitate a hunter for whatever reason.  
  
She raised the glass to her mouth but put it back to the table when her arm beeped. A BEE system message. The message was direct, "_Come to the telepipe reception area in the labs immediately. Tell no one_." There was no name signed to it. The message header had been spoofed so she could not determine who had sent it. She paused for a fraction of a Beat before striding purposefully toward the Lab. 


	11. Eyes Wide Open

**----- Chapter 11 : Eyes Wide Open -----**

  
  
Sue checked in at the Guild desk located at the entrance to the government VR research labs. Perusing the activity boards she saw only one name was listed as being on the surface. She frowned, it was early evening but there should still be many more people listed there. She then chided herself for being stupid. The whole security blanket ban was in effect thus no missions. It would seem that you could earn a lot of trust by being the Hunter that killed Falz.  
  
She shrugged and walked towards the rendezvous point. If she did solve this mystery, she would no doubt need that Hunter's assistance, it was always useful to have that kind of sheer power for backup. The lights were all on but the shops and other areas were closed, no Hunters equalled no business. It gave her the feel of walking into a trap and she shivered slightly despite not being cold. She was just glad that she always walked around fully armed.  
  
She descended the ramp and saw that no one was there. Walking to the window the thought occurred to her that she might be early for whatever meeting was coming. Staring down at the blue-green globe beyond the window, she almost did not hear the voice quietly summoning her.  
  
"Psst!"  
  
She turned to see the source of the noise, the familiar sight of the FOnewm Hopkins hiding in the little alcove. She approached him.  
  
"How long have you been standing there?" She asked.  
  
He ignored her question. "Did you come here alone? Did anyone follow you?" His tone was hushed but urgent.  
  
"Followed? No. What are you talking about?"  
  
She was surprised when he grabbed her by the wrist. A jolt and she found herself in a familiar room. The circular room had no visible exits and was sparsely decorated with strange ornate objects. She had been here before a couple of times before.  
  
"I do apologise for the secrecy, but it was quite necessary." Said Paganini, the mature FOnewm seated before her. He turned to face Hopkins.  
  
"If you'll excuse us, me and the young lady have many important things to discuss."  
  
"I did good didn't I?" Hopkins asked eagerly.  
  
"Yes you did." Said Paganini as he placed a small object into Hopkins' hand.  
  
Hopkins smiled and took a step back. He pressed a button on his forearm panel and vanished.  
  
"A faithful lad but not the brightest star in the sky if you catch my drift. Unlike you of course."  
  
Sue cocked her head to one side.  
  
"I do apologise once more, I forget how direct Hunters would prefer me to be. I am hoping that you will listen to what I have to tell you before you pass any judgement."  
  
With that Sue crossed her arms. "I make no promises." She said coldly.  
  
"Of course not and I would not expect you to. I have followed you throughout your career as a Hunter and would say I know you better than any other person on this ship." He paused.  
  
"Sue... I have something to tell you... I AM your father."  
  
"WHAT?!" Shouted Sue incredulously.  
  
"Sorry, sorry. I joke." Grinned Paganini. "I saw that line in a Holocast once and always wanted to try it on someone."  
  
"I don't have time for these games." Sue fumed and turned as if to leave.  
  
"You are searching for who is behind Kireek."  
  
Sue stopped and turned back slowly. "Go on."  
  
"You know me as a collector of Photon 'eccentricities' and occasionally data. Indeed when my sources told me of the secret research facility on Gal De Val Island I knew that I must get my hands on that information immediately. However the stringent qualification conditions required and tight security meant that agents loyal to me were unable to even set foot on the island. I was able to get around this by appealing to passing Hunters' sense of curiosity or greed."  
  
"The tower data?"  
  
"Yes, Doctor Osto had labs there but of more use to me was data from Doctor Graves, the photon engineer. It seems that the parasite cell 'D' was not the only strange material recovered from the Ruins. My spies in Doctor Montague's lab have only confirmed what I suspected, namely the discovery of a new photon type!"  
  
"A new photon type?"  
  
"Yes, much of our civilisation's technology is built upon the fourteen photon types. But scientists have always theorised that there maybe more photon types. Indeed the people of Pioneer One discovered this new kind of photon. Five years ago, they sent a encrypted transmission back to Coral about their findings. They knew they had discovered something but they did not have an understanding of it yet."  
  
"So you knew about the Ruins for five years and you didn't tell anyone?"  
  
"Please, you must understand that to admit to cracking military transmissions would make things _uncomfortable for me_. Besides, think about it for a half a Beat... I was not the only one that knew about it..."  
  
"The military..." Said Sue breathlessly.  
  
"You may have heard of W.O.R.K.S., the special ops division of the military. They had big plans for all of this, but lacked muscle, especially compared to our all-conquering Hunter. The death of Falz put a crimp on their plans, as if they could do a better job of stopping or containing Falz than Pioneer One's army."  
  
"So how does Kireek fit into all this?" Asked Sue. 


	12. Devil's Advocate

**----- Chapter 12 : Devil's Advocate -----**

  
  
"Ah Kireek. Yes yes. On Pioneer One there was a highly decorated military hero named Heathcliff Flowen. He led the expeditions into the Ruins until his death in an earthquake caused by computers hooked up to probe the Ruins' systems. It would seem that before his untimely passing, he managed to integrate a small amount of unusual unpurified photons into weapon prototypes that he was building. These prototypes were given out to military officers and important personnel from Pioneer One."  
  
He continued. "When news came to me of these weapons I knew that I would have to acquire them. But with the power that they contained, no one in their right mind would want to trade such a rare find."  
  
"That's what Black Paper and Kireek were looking for! These prototypes... Were they worth killing for?" Asked Sue.  
  
"The weapons were ordinary base models, modified with the new photon type. Dark Photons! That's what they were. Falz contained within himself a power to rival that of... that of..." He gestured frantically trying to think of a comparison. "... Of a star!" He finished triumphantly.  
  
"So others died just so you could boost your collection?"  
  
"It was not my intention that others should die. In the beginning it was simple enough, a few cuts and bruises but no one got seriously hurt. At some point Kireek reasoned that it was more logical to kill them, no witnesses and all that. It got really bad when he developed a taste for it, but maybe I was blinded by the results that he achieved."  
  
Sue snorted at the mention of results.  
  
"He did prove invaluable when it came to covering up our tracks. The speed at which Black Paper and his associates had been arrested was shocking. I couldn't take the chance that he wouldn't talk."  
  
"So Kireek silenced him."  
  
"Yes, Alex, as you knew him, knew the risks."  
  
"How did you know I knew him?"  
  
"I told you before, I have watched your rise amongst the ranks of Hunters for some time, in fact I was the one who ask Alex to watch over you and keep you out of harm's way."  
  
"Why me?" She asked as her hand slowly slid along to the photon storage control panel on her arm.  
  
"I have my reasons. After Kireek's destruction, I pulled strings in the government in order to have him rebuilt. Although I made sure to hide the trail it seems that Kireek would enjoy a sense of closure in matters. Hence his frankly outrageous attack on poor Ash. I'm just glad that if anyone would have worked out who it was, that it would be you."  
  
"So you are the mysterious Black Arm eh? I don't suppose that it ends with you?"  
  
Paganini smiled broadly.  
  
"Pioneer 3 is already on its way, did you know that?" He said enigmatically.  
  
"No, I didn't. What about your son? Where does he fit into all of this?"  
  
"Hopkins? He is an innocent in all of this. If anything his name would be Black Sheep..." He chuckled at that statement. "... But he is weak. You are the daughter I should have had... or a replacement for the son I do have."  
  
"So why are you telling me all of this? I now know everything."  
  
Paganini sighed heavily.  
  
"I guess I'm a sentimental old fool. I had the tiniest hope that you would join us, work for me."  
  
"Not a chance." She replied defiantly while activating her Nei's Claw.  
  
Paganini looked at the glowing pink blades.  
  
"An interesting weapon, where did you get it from?"  
  
"Though it's none of your business, I got it from my mother."  
  
"And she got it from...?"  
  
"It was a gift." Snarled Sue.  
  
"I had a claw such as that one once... You know not all of them are replicas."  
  
"Enough of this. I'm turning you over to the authorities."  
  
"I knew that would be your answer..." His voice was tinged with sadness. "...So you must be taken care of..."  
  
At those words Sue leapt across the room at Paganini, her hand mounted blades mere millimetres from his face when he vanished...  
  



	13. Out of Control

**----- Chapter 13 : Out of Control -----**

  
  
The wave of heat that hit Sue's face made her eyes water briefly. She spun round to take in her surroundings. It was not Paganini who had vanished but her. Pressing all around was the dense jungle of Gal De Val Island. She had made short visits before and like most of the other Hunters had made rapid retreats. The creatures here were phenomenally strong, no thanks to the meddling of Doctor Osto.  
  
She saw that she was in a small clearing, the ground worn down just enough to indicate that others had come this way before her. The small computer terminal beside her was deactivated, with no Hunters on the surface it was not needed. She knew there must be a reason that Paganini had sent her here. The feeling that she was not alone was confirmed by the sound of someone or something cutting its way through the undergrowth.  
  
"I have come for that which belongs to me!"  
  
Kireek's words chilled her to her very core. Paganini had banished her to the island with that monster to silence her permanently. She produced a telepipe mat, activated it and threw it to the ground. The energy column died even before it finished appearing which told her that something was stopping it from activating. Possibly Kireek's enhancements, which meant that he was too close!  
  
She began to run through the bushes, desperate to put some suitable distance between her and the killer Android. Clearing the tree line she saw that she was situated on the mountain to the East of the Central Control Area. She could see it below in the distance and breathed a small sigh of relief. The one Hunter that could possibly save her was down in that facility somewhere. She only hoped that she could get there in time...  
  
--------  
  
"Ma'am? I think you need to look at this." The lab technician called over Natasha Milarose to her vidscreen.  
  
"Problem?" Queried Natasha.  
  
"I don't so, but there is something strange going on. Look at these scanner readings."  
  
The technician tapped away at the keyboard and pointed out areas of interest on each of the displays.  
  
"Now combined with these unusually energy signatures and overlay that with the photon surge data..."  
  
Natasha stood upright and covered her mouth with her hand. It was now highly visible.  
  
"Based on that and the schematic data obtained from the Control Tower, it appears as if we have found the North Tower." Said Natasha breathlessly.  
  
"Ma'am?"  
  
"The reason we couldn't see it before is because it extends below ground."  
  
The technician frowned as she typed furiously. "But... The shaft extends for a kilometre below the surface... Why?"  
  
"I think it's time to get those answers..." Said Natasha heading towards her office.  
  
--------  
  
Sue's lungs burned with each breath and her legs felt as if they might collapse at any moment. The hot, humid air did not help matters. Neither did the twisting path she was forced to take descending the rocky slopes to the bay where the Central Control Area lay. More than once she had blundered into a dead-end with unclimbable walls and backtracking cost her valuable time.  
  
A family of Gibbons sitting among the chest-high vegetation were startled as the Newman dashed passed them, oblivious to their existence at this point. She cast a few furtive glances behind her from time to time but did not allow her pace to let up even for a centiBeat. She could not afford to chance a break. She was merely grateful that she had chosen jogging as a means of exercise.  
  
Despite all of that, Sue knew that she could not push herself for much longer. She reduced her pace as slow as her fear would allow her and began to messily bash out a request for help on her BEE system.  
  
--------  
  
Kireek bounded across the slopes, his super-human strength allowing him to travel these distances with ease. Tracking Sue was not difficult and he knew exactly where she was headed, the only reason he had not gotten there first was that she kept getting lost. Of course that would mean he would waste valuable _killing_ time waiting for her to catch up.  
  
--------  
  
She collapsed against the inoperative computer panel. It was attached to a deactivated security gate but was capable of communication with Pioneer Two. She jabbed the buttons but there was no power. She fell to the ground in despair. She could barely breathe now and standing was next to impossible. She had taken what she thought would be a shortcut but turned out to be a flat expanse terminating in a cliff. The rocks in the water far below not a very inviting option.  
  
Turning to look the way she came she saw Kireek, walking casually as if he were a tourist. She felt like weeping for all the good it would do. Was this really it for her? As if in answer, a wavering column of green energy appeared nearby and a figured stepped out of it before it dissipated. It was Cilantro.  
  
He extended a hand towards her and helped her up onto unsteady feet. When he saw her look behind him to the distance he turned and saw the murderous Android moving ever closer. He touched two fingers to his forehead and closed his eyes in concentration. The energy of a telepipe formed around her.  
  
"Don't worry, I'll handle this now..." He said reassuringly just before the world faded into black. 


	14. Kill Cil

**----- Chapter 14 : Kill Cil -----**

  
  
Cilantro made note of the fact that all the telepipes he created required immense mental effort to maintain and dispersed far too quickly. He turned to face Kireek and stood his ground. It seemed that the Android was fitted with a field disruptor, he would have to be extra careful.  
  
"You should have left with her. Now I will have to make things very unpleasant for you." Announced Kireek once within speaking range.  
  
Cilantro produced his weapon with a flourish, a long thin staff topped by three sharp tines, a Demonic Fork. He twirled it a couple of times before taking a firm grip.  
  
"It is said that that weapon brings great misfortune to those who wield it." Said Kireek.  
  
"You talk to much."  
  
"Strange, none of my victims have ever complained about that before."  
  
"Well are you going to do something or bore me to death?" Taunted Cilantro making his free hand into a fist with two fingers extended in concentration as an alternating aura of red and blue enveloped him.  
  
"Do not worry, you will not have to suffer my idle boasting for much longer." Said Kireek, once more extending his arm out to one side, scythe materialising moments later.  
  
The air around Cilantro began to ripple, heat distortion clearly visible in the light of the setting sun. He pointed his fingers at the android and suddenly a massive RAfoie heat bubble erupted on Kireek's chest. Momentarily distracted Kireek realised that Cilantro had vanished from in front of him. He stepped forward and swung his scythe at the spot behind him.  
  
Cilantro blocked the swing with the shaft of the Demonic Fork, then parried it away. He hopped backwards and vanished once more through a telepipe. Kireek tilted his head to look at the spot where Cilantro had just jumped to. Cilantro ran his hand down the staff and was surprised to find a notch there. He held out his hand to his side and telepipe appeared beside him. He kept his eyes fixed on Kireek, who did not move, seemingly unconcerned for whatever was coming next.  
  
A shape solidified in the swirling vortex, stepping forward to reveal a FOmarl in dark blue and yellow. Celebra nodded in acknowledgement to her brother and then produced a weapon of her own, a staff with each end topped with a bright yellow lightning motif. She spun the Indra Storm Wand a couple of times to demonstrate that she had mastered such a weapon and then lit up with a red and blue aura too.  
  
"Fresh meat for the grinder. Two souls for my collection." Said Kireek flatly, still unmoved.  
  
"He talks too much." Said Celebra with a grin.  
  
She extended a hand, palm facing the ground.  
  
"Barta!" She commanded.  
  
A ball of icy mist raced across the ground, like a snake, freezing the grass in its wake. Kireek jolted back to life, flipping his scythe and ramming the head down onto the ground. The Barta energy hit the head of the weapon and immediately encased it in thick ice. Kireek pulled it from the ground and smashed it down, shattering the ice. He righted the weapon.  
  
"I would hope that that is not your best." He said.  
  
He took a two-handed grip on the scythe and charged the pair. They separated quickly, Cilantro aiming his palm at their mechanical foe. Shafts of light pierced through Kireek's chest from all directions as he staggered to a halt and bent double in apparent pain. As the light subsided Kireek rose back to his full height, seemingly unaffected.  
  
"Foie!" Celebra cried out.  
  
Large balls of fiery flame hurtled at Kireek, noisily impacting upon his metal skin but leaving little more than faint scorch marks on the paint. Ignoring Celebra's attacks Kireek closed in on Cilantro, swinging his scythe in long lazy arcs. Cilantro backed out of range as the two FOrces unleashed a dual Gizonde Technique. The electricity flashed between the pair enveloping the Android. His movements became juddery but he continued his advance.  
  
"Gibarta!" Said Celebra.  
  
Kireek took that moment to press himself as close to the ground as he could. The stream of freezing air and shards of ice flew over him towards Cilantro. Cilantro threw his hands up to protect his face.  
  
"Gifoie!" He shouted quickly.  
  
A wall of intense flame encircled the FOmar instantly, protecting him from the incoming ice. Kireek saw an opportunity and pressed the attack on Celebra. She parried his blows as best she could but it was clear she could not last long. Cilantro cast a Gibarta of his own against the distracted Android. Within milliBeats a thick layer of ice had built up on his back and he was forced to stop his attack.  
  
Kireek arched and flexed his back to break the ice and prevent it immobilising him, Celebra fired off several more Gizonde Techniques causing Kireek to begin steaming.  
  
"I have Techniques of my own." Said Kireek.  
  
He spun and hurled a small object at Cilantro, who instinctively cast Gizonde to stop it. The lightning bolt struck its target, which detonated, showering Cilantro with freezing mist. As Celebra had been concerned with Cilantro's fate she failed to spot Kireek raise his scythe high until it was too late and he brought it down upon her.  
  
"NO!" Cried Cilantro.  
  
The scythe's blade had punched straight through the middle of her chest and protruded out of her back. She gasped deeply, her weapon falling from her hands as she clawed weakly at the scythe handle, bubbles of blood emerging from her lips.  
  
Cilantro's anger began to heat up the air around him, the ice on his clothes and hair melting instantly. He cast another Gizonde, the air crackling as it was torn in two by the energy travelling through it. Even as he jerked from the electricity strike, Kireek grabbed Celebra's hand and she writhed and screamed in agony, as she too was shocked. Kireek glanced over his shoulder, taunting Cilantro with his impotence to stop him.  
  
The air around Cilantro was shimmering violently, He cupped his hands together, fingers spread and pointing at the Android. Clouds of purple-black mist coalesced there before shooting out at remarkable speed. In one smooth movement Kireek twisted and held Celebra in the path of the Megid Technique.  
  
Upon impact she went limp. With his free hand Kireek pushed her body from his blade and she slumped to the floor. This became too much for Cilantro, the grass around his feet blackening and smouldering as the air boiled with his fury. In each hand began to form glowing orange balls of energy, each of them growing with every passing moment.  
  
Kireek recognised the Rafoie Technique and took a step back.  
  
"Not today." Kireek stated flatly, as the swirling green of a telepipe formed around him and he vanished.  
  
Cilantro ran and knelt beside the body of his sister. He laid his hands upon her, she felt so cold. He closed his eyes and focused. White light appeared between them and Celebra's chest jolted upwards briefly before sinking back down.  
  
"Please... Don't give up..." He said, tears starting to stream down his cheeks.  
  
He tried again and again and again... 


	15. Riddles In The Dark

**----- Chapter 15 : Riddles In The Dark -----**

  
  
Natasha Milarose approached the console where Elly Person sat. She held out a PDA which Elly accepted.  
  
"These are your new orders." Natasha told her.  
  
Elly tapped the screen and scrolled through the data contained on it.  
  
"You want the Hunter to explore this... Tower?" Elly asked. "Alone?"  
  
"I'm sure the two of you can handle it." Natasha assured her.  
  
"What's this? Operation Juggernaut?"  
  
"It's just a codename for the mission. Retrieve all the data that you can find from down there okay? Now if you'll excuse me, there are pressing matters that urgently require my attention."  
  
Natasha quickly left before Elly could say anything further.  
  
-------  
  
Paganini Zephra sat back and looked upon the sole possessions he had left. Laid out before him were eight storage crates, the last few being sealed up by a couple of his men. They were each filled to the brim with unusual weapons, photon crystals and rarities brought together by a lifetime of collecting. He realised that this might very well be the last time he would see them.  
  
Occasionally the ground shook. It was no mere earthquake though. Nothing nearly so mundane. Seventy-five Beats ago, Kireek had killed Celebra Dumas, sister to Cilantro Dumas who was probably the strongest FOrce on Pioneer two. Another failure on Kireek's part now spelt their imminent destruction.  
  
Security cameras dotted around this undersea research facility showed that they were under attack. Cilantro had gathered a collection of the most powerful Hunters the Guild had to offer. Paganini had initiated the defence systems and released the experiment test subjects but they were not even slowing the marauding group down.  
  
Paganini had ordered an evacuation, but it looked like the authorities were sanctioning the purge. Sensors indicated that Pioneer Two was blanketing the area with a disruptor field, if they were to leave it would either be on foot or in a box.  
  
The quakes were getting stronger and now the explosions could be heard faintly too. It would seem the Cilantro's Rafoie was strong enough to level walls, doors and anything else that might stand in his way.  
  
He looked to his right to where his son Hopkins stood watching him with a worried expression on his face, a little way behind him stood that infernal Android. Paganini walked over to him, unstrapping his Comms unit from his left arm. He handed it to Hopkins.  
  
"Take this, you will need to show the data that's on it to the members of Black Reach when they arrive on Pioneer Three..." He said, there was a sadness in his voice.  
  
"But father!" Protested Hopkins.  
  
Paganini cut him off before he could speak further.  
  
"Kireek... I need you to take care of my son. He's all... I have left." He had trouble speaking the words because he was so choked with emotion.  
  
An explosion could clearly be heard very close now, dust and ceiling tiles falling from above. Kireek nodded once and then stood directly behind Hopkins placing a hand on the boy's shoulder. A column of green energy covered them both and they vanished. Paganini turned and addressed the remaining members there.  
  
"I would like to thank you all for your loyal service, but now is the time to run. Those that stay behind face death... Or worse. Should we survive, we will gather again at the Beta site in ten days."  
  
-------  
  
Paganini was sweating under his labours. He had opted to head in the opposite direction to the incoming invaders. This path led him to the access ladders and gantries that spanned the inside of the shaft. The interior was almost pitch-black but Paganini dared not risk a light in case it gave his position away. The sounds of fighting and explosions echoed up from below him, while a mechanical sound drifted down from above.  
  
_Can you feel our pain?_  
  
Paganini froze. It had sounded like someone had just whispered in his ear. He clung to the pipe tightly and attempted to see if there was someone nearby. He craned his head this way and that but could not see anything in the poor light.  
  
_We are the darkness_  
  
It was more than Paganini could stand. He awkwardly extracted the Evil Curst cane tucked into his belt. If there was someone here with him then soon it would be them that would be afraid. He attempted to wave it about in a vaguely threatening manner until it slipped from his grasp and vanished below.  
  
"Damnit!" Paganini cursed loudly.  
  
He glanced downwards hoping to see where it had fallen. He relaxed his grip slightly to allow himself to move away from the pipe. There was an explosion. His hands slipped. The world disappeared in a blur of wind...  
  
-------  
  
Paganini opened his eyes and looked cautiously about. He appeared to be lying in a shallow crater made of mud. He attempted to move and almost passed out from the pain. He gritted his teeth and attempted to calm down. From the looks of things he had probably shattered his pelvis upon landing and if he attempted to cast Resta he might cause the bones to set in their current position.  
  
He became puzzled, it seemed to be getting brighter. Some kind of multicoloured light source behind him and he could feel the ground tremble as it approached. He tilted his head back as far as it would go to see what it was.  
  
_Share our pain!_  
  
Paganini could not scream loudly enough...  
  
  
  
  
  


_To be concluded in 'Paradise Lost'_


End file.
